


Laid Low

by unmended



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unmended/pseuds/unmended
Summary: Estinien shifts the man in his arms and brushes the hair gently away from Gaius’ forehead. A line of blood oozes steadily from his third eye down between his brows.The alarum siren pulses steadily in the distance.“We need to get out of here.” Valdeaulin calls from the other side of the hall, not once betraying anything but stony impatience.
Relationships: Gaius van Baelsar/Estinien Wyrmblood
Comments: 11
Kudos: 24





	Laid Low

* * *

Fleeing the Castrum should have been simple, the alrum bleating it’s call in the distance, but they ended up surrounded. An error, perhaps, but nothing insurmountable. 

  
Armed with fist weapons, the man shouldn’t have been able to get close enough, but his reach was longer than he let on and he danced into Gaius’ space like he was comfortable there. He was trained well, and trained  _ for this _ .

After a deft one-two combination that set Gaius reeling, the soldier had his opening and went for it, the metal on his fist colliding against the center of Gaius’ forehead with purpose. 

Gaius staggers back, letting out a guttural cry, hand immediately flying to protect his third eye.

Sparks fly as Gaius scrapes Heirsbane across the plated metal of the Castrum flooring and he catches the soldier across the chest, balance wavering as he does so and dropping forward to a knee, clutching still at his head with his free hand. The unlucky body crumples to the ground in front of him.

Gaius does not rise, losing his grip on his weapon and gasping. 

Another soldier rushes towards his back while he’s down, and Estinien springs forward then, implaling the new mark to the ground with his spear, cutting off the attack before any momentum can be gained. 

Severa pulls back from her own fight and dashes over to Gaius as Valdeaulin covers, effectively toasting any would-be attackers with a pulse from his staff.

Gaius still doesn’t stir, hunched over as he is. Estinien, beginning to have a hard time calming the tremor in his hand, takes one last look around the immediate area and when it’s clear of any more incoming soldiers begins sprinting over as well.

Severa is whispering something in Gaius’ ear, a hand on his shoulder. His eyes are clenched shut and he’s breathing hard through clenched teeth. 

Estinien kneels in front of him, too.

Gaius’ face has paled significantly, and he’s barely holding himself upright in a crouch with one arm, with the other still clamped across his forehead.

Estinien reaches out a hand, then another, batting Severa’s own away. Cradling the man’s jaw in his hands.

“ _ Gaius _ -“ Estinien says, voice fraying. “Can you move?”

The man tries to shake his head but gasps as the motion all but completely destabilizes him. 

“I can’t see.” Gaius croaks, a grim smile twisting on to his face as he takes in another long breath to center himself, but wavers “It’s too-“ He struggles with the word, losing it on his tongue. “too....” He trails off as he waivers and falls forward against Estinien, going lax with a lengthy exhale.

“Gaius -  _ Gaius!  _ ” Estinien shouts as the Garlean collapses against him. He grits his teeth against the bile and fear rising up in his throat and pats carefully along the other man’s jaw. 

“-It’s not been fractured, so he’ll be fine...” Severa says, suddenly close behind.

“ _ What-?  _ ” Estinien says, an edge of panic in his voice, fixing the woman with a wild-eyed stare.

“His third eye. He was struck, and hard. Possibly targeted even...” She taps just next to her own third eye, near the center of her forehead, normally obscured by her blue hair. “That’s a low blow even for them - they would know exactly how debilitating that could be.” She stands to look down at the dead soldier with the fist weapon, then bends to collect Gaius’ gunblade.

Estinien shifts the man in his arms and brushes the hair gently away from Gaius’ forehead. A line of blood oozes steadily from his third eye down between his brows. 

The alarum siren pulses steadily in the distance.

“We need to get out of here.” Valdeaulin calls from the other side of the hall, not once betraying anything but stony impatience.

Cursing quietly to himself, Estinien drapes Gaius’ bulk over a shoulder and lifts, legs shaking only slightly with the strain, and he heads for the Castrum exit and the ship.

* * *

The pain was white hot and constant, piercing, until it wasn’t.

Gaius was vaguely aware of being moved, of things rustling and going on around him but he couldn't lift his head or open his eyes to see them, so he waited. Everything shook and tilted around him like he was adrift on an unkind sea. Opening his eyes made everything worse, painting everything in bright edges that moved like molasses and made him dizzy.

He’d have been furious if those tactics were used under his command. Gaius attempts to take a deep breath in and regrets it immediately. His focus returns to the pain in his forehead, boring into his skull. 

Voices carry on around him in hushed tones. He tries to focus on those with little success.

In the midst of trying to remain composed and alert, he registers a cold compress on his forehead and it was like someone finally decided to dim the lights. It kept the nausea at bay, at least. 

He was able to sleep after that, finally muting the pain to something he could manage and put to the back of his mind as he drifted off.

* * *

Estinien paces in the ship’s Common area before giving in and sitting to brood in silence.

Valdeaulin started the ship immediately after they came on board and Severa, the only one with any practical healing sense between the three of them, had gotten to work doing what she could.

The thought of him laid low by a single blow like that made something in Estinien’s chest clench uncomfortably. He fidgets with a chain link on his armor and splits it with the sharp edge of his gauntleted finger, watching it fall to the floor of the ship and bounce away. He curls his fingers in and slams his fist on the table, cursing.

He’s startled by a set of footsteps right close to him as Severa plops down in the seat opposite with a cup of leftover coffee.

“He’s asking for you.” She says.

“No he isn’t-“ Estinien says curtly, eyes narrowed, “He was  _ unconscious _ , Severa and he’s not-“ but he clamps his mouth shut when he sees her tired smile.

“I figured maybe it might make it easier for you to just  _ go and sit with him like you so desperately want to _ , you git.”

Estinien’s eyes flash dangerously but the Hyur waves him off.

“Go-“ Severa says. “You’re not fooling anyone, _especially_ not me.”

Estinien’s face twists up in anger, flushing, but to his credit he does turn and leave, heading in the direction of the bunks.

Severa sighs into her coffee, weakly.

* * *

Estinien slides his way into the bunk room and stops at the door. The only sounds he can hear are the ship, nothing else. 

Shifting slowly towards the occupied bed, he spies the outline of Gaius in the dimmed light. Resting, it seems, as if he was just asleep and not all but seriously injured.

Estinien didn’t know much about the Garlean third eye but based on how quickly the blow took Gaius down he didn’t really want to think about what could have happened.

He hears the man he’s observing shift uncomfortably, settling moments later. 

Good sense and manners dictate that he should leave and let him sleep if he was able to finally do so…

But he can’t.

As he stands next to the bed trying to convince himself to leave, Gaius stirs again.

“Mm, you’re staring.” He whispers softly. “...Aren’t you.”

It’s more of a statement than a question, and Estinien tries not to let the embarrassment of being caught in his own personal moment of weakness cause him to lash out. He reigns in his temper carefully and clamps down on his baser instincts.

“...You should be sleeping, Wolf.” Estinien says, voice rougher than he intends. He sighs and drags a chair over.

“It feels like a bedside vigil from the former Azure Dragoon of Ishgard is a once in a lifetime opportunity - I’d be remiss if I didn’t enjoy it for at least a time.” Gaius says, strained, but he smiles wryly and very gently tilts his head towards the sound of the chair being shifted.

Estinien squirms uncomfortably for a few moments before he settles.

“It certainly is a once in a lifetime opportunity - this won’t happen again. I- you won’t be lying there ...and I certainly won’t be sitting here.” He grumbles.

Gaius huffs in a breath softly, approximating a laugh.

“It’s not funny.” Estinien says, a harsh edge coloring his voice.

“It’s all right. I just need time to recuperate and we can return to being productive in short order.” 

Estinien makes a frustrated growl and tenses to rise, letting the chair creak.

Gaius’ hand slides off from where it’s planted at his side to rest on the elf’s knee.

“You don’t have to go.” Gaius says, squeezing Estinien’s knee only slightly.

Estinien looks down at the offending hand and slowly, very slowly, places his own on top before allowing himself to relax back into his chair.

* * *

Estinien dozes on and off while keeping his strange vigil at Gaius’ bedside. 

By the fourth time he himself wakes, Gaius has pulled himself upright, and he’s alert, talking quietly to Severa in hushed tones.

Estinien stiffly gets to his feet and stretches, allowing the two to continue their conversation unbothered. Dizzy himself, he decides to duck out to eat something, as moving seems to have reminded his body he hasn’t done that in an age.

He groans quietly as he slips out of the room, rolling his shoulders and stretching out his back.

Estinien rifles through the ship’s pantry and his own bag for anything that might be put together as a meal. He also grabs three cups of hot water and the instant coffee. He stuffs a stray piece of jerky in his mouth.

Shuffling back with the food and drinks was only slightly more complicated with three cups, but he manages to tap-kick the door open with some success just as Severa opens it from the other side.

Estinien grunts and gestures for her to take one of the cups. He sets the rest of the food and drink on a small side table and spoons coffee into each cup before passing them back out. Severa nods in thanks before picking a few choice pieces from the food haul and taking her leave. Estinien watches her go, passing a look between her and Gaius.

Gaius himself leans back in the bed with his coffee and a day ration. Estinien tears into a package of dried fruits and nuts, sitting nearby.

They eat in silence for a while, before Gaius speaks:

“Severa says we circled a few outposts but ultimately landed and camouflaged so as to not draw suspicion.” He says. “It appears I slept for a great deal of time.”

Estinien nods absently, chewing, swallowing slowly.

“She also says you didn’t leave my side throughout.”

Estinien bites the inside of his cheek rather roughly, and hisses, drawing in a breath. 

“You have my thanks for the watch, Ser.” Gaius says over a sip of his own bad coffee.

“Don’t  _ mock me- _ “ Estinien forces out, his mouth frozen in a half snarl. “I was- I wanted…” 

Gaius wordlessly plucks the cup from the elf’s hands, and takes it with his own, placing them on a side table by the bed.

“I meant no offense, it was said with sincerity.” Gaius stares Estinien down, cutting off further protests and he quiets, pressing his lips into a thin line.

“Now come closer, and let me test my faculties, if it pleases you.” 

Estinien raises an eyebrow but huffs and shuffles the chair closer to the head of the bedside and leans in. Gaius reaches tentatively for him, brow furrowed ever so slightly, until his fingers ghost along Estinien’s sharp jaw. 

“Hm, I was worried I’d miss my mark.” He says quietly as he encourages the elf to lean further in stil with a tug of the hairs on his nape. “Glad indeed that there doesn’t seem to be any lingering effects beyond some dizziness...” Gaius pulls gently but insistently at Estinien until he’s able to capture his mouth in a kiss without moving, himself. 

Estinien fully leans over him, a gauntleted hand resting flat on Gaius’ stomach to keep balance, feeling the muscles tensing underneath. His own eyes fluttering closed he lets himself be handled, guided, until he’s seated at the man’s side on the edge of the bed. Gaius’ other hand presses against the elf’s ribs firmly, keeping him grounded.

“I’m alright.” Gaius murmurs when they part. 

Estinien tenses and looks down, sliding his hand up Gaius’ chest to rest right over his heart, even as he does his best to push away from him. Gaius doesn’t give up his gentle hold, however, and Estinien relents, letting his shoulders sag with a sigh. 

After a moment Estinien leans in gently to kiss him again, careful not to jostle or move him too much, before pulling back and retrieving his cold cup of coffee, hiding behind it and taking slow sips to avoid any further conversation.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> I most CERTAINLY DID NOT WRITE THIS WHILE FIGHTING WITH ANOTHER FIC I WAS WRITING NO SIR  
> pls enjoy ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿  
>   
> If you're of the writing persuasion or generally just want to yell about final fantasy, come and join usssss in the discorrrrrd:
> 
> [Emet-Selch's Wholesomely Debauched and Enabling Book Club](https://discord.gg/4gUTQta)
> 
> or, for specifically these boyyyyyyys 
> 
> [Gaiustinien Thirst Discord](https://discord.gg/u6CNyjG)


End file.
